Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Cooking combines art and science, with different methods affecting the nutritional value of meals. Steaming vegetables retains more vitamins than boiling, as water-soluble nutrients like Vitamin C often dissolve into the cooking water. Grilling meat enhances flavor but can produce harmful compounds if overdone, making moderation crucial.

Frying is popular for its taste but adds calories due to oil absorption. Switching to roasting or baking reduces this while preserving flavor. Chopping or grating ingredients like carrots or garlic activates enzymes, boosting their health benefits.

Food storage is also essential for nutrition. Fresh produce contains vital nutrients but loses some over time. Freezing immediately after harvest locks in vitamins and minerals.

Incorporating whole grains and fresh produce into meals boosts nutrition and reduces reliance on processed foods. Small changes, like using wholegrain bread or adding vegetables to dishes, can greatly improve your diet. Food is more than fuel—it’s the foundation of health.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

People who have plenty of positive thoughts and emotions in their everyday lives tend to be happier, healthier, and get along better with others. We all know that positive thoughts and emotions help you feel better, but they also do some other pretty cool things. They help you improve your memory and attention, take in more information and hold several ideas in your mind at once, understand how different thoughts relate to each other, handle tough situations more easily.

Building habits that encourage you to think and feel more positive can help you be more satisfied and have fewer unwanted feelings. This is especially important if you’re already dealing with a lot of negative emotions like fear, sadness, anger, frustration, or stress. Everyone has negative thoughts and feelings sometimes, but try to look on the bright side as much as you can.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

March 8 is International Women’s Day, and even though it is international the day has a special history in Russia where it is marked with a day off work. Curiously enough, the March 8 celebration is connected with the revolutionary movement in Russia. It was first celebrated in St Petersburg in 1913 as a Western trend. But in 1921 it was decided to celebrate 8 March in commemoration of the female textile workers who took part in demonstrations on 8 March 1917, at the time of the Russian Revolution. In 1966, the March 8 became an official public holiday in the USSR. Gradually the political nature of the celebration was forgotten and now it is a celebration of all women. On this day in Russia you will see that practically every woman is carrying a bunch of flowers given to her by a male colleague, boss or family member.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Communication shapes how we exchange information. The internet has revolutionized it, allowing people to send emails, make video calls, and share data instantly. Today, over 4.9 billion people use the internet, making digital communication essential.

Language plays a key role — different accents can affect pronunciation, leading to misunderstandings. Interpreters and translators help bridge language gaps, while media, including TV and the radio, keeps people informed. Technology has improved communication, but it also brings challenges. Mobile phones let us talk anytime, yet weak signals or interruptions can be frustrating. Online messages lack emotional depth—a single click can send a text, but tone and intention may be unclear.

Social media has transformed both formal and informal interactions. A viral image can reach millions, and over 80% of businesses use social platforms to improve job prospects. However, online privacy remains a concern. Effective communication — whether through speech, writing, or broadcasts—is key to success. Keeping messages clear and concise helps avoid misunderstandings and build strong connections.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Built on an ancient site, the Kazan Kremlin dates from the Muslim period of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. It was conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 and became the Christian See of the Volga Land. The only surviving Tatar fortress in Russia and an important place of pilgrimage, the Kazan Kremlin consists of an outstanding group of historic buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, integrating remains of earlier structures of the 10th to the 16th centuries. The Kazan Kremlin is a historic citadel in Kazan, Russia, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It blends Russian and Tatar cultures, featuring landmarks like the Qol Sharif Mosque and Annunciation Cathedral. Built under Ivan the Terrible, it symbolizes centuries of cultural fusion, religious coexistence, and Tatar-Russian history.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Scientists say they have discovered what could be the smallest reptile in the world. It is a kind of chameleon and is the size of a sunflower seed. Chameleons are usually around 35–40 cm long. Scientists found two of the tiny lizards — a male and a female — in the mountains in northern Madagascar. They are just 22 mm long from nose to tail. The length of the male’s body is 13.5 mm. At first, the scientists thought the tiny reptiles were juveniles, but later realised they were fully-grown adults. The scientists called the miniature creatures nano-chameleons. The scientists tried to find more of the nano-chameleons, but “despite great effort” could not find any others. Madagascar is home to two- thirds of the world’s chameleon species. Scientists believe they may have originated there. However, the chameleon’s survival is threatened by deforestation on the island. One of the scientists said the nano- chameleons are lucky to survive.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

The Citadel, ancient city and fortress buildings of Derbent, were part of the northern lines of the Persian Empire, which extended east and west of the Caspian Sea. The town of Derbent was built between these two walls, and has retained part of its medieval fabric. The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Derbent is located in Russia’s Dagestan region, on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. It owes its rich history to its strategic position, along the travel route between Europe and the Middle East, on the border of Europe and Asia, where the mountains of the Caucasus almost reach the coast leaving a narrow 3 km strip of plain. Archaeological excavations since the late 1970s have confirmed Derbent’s nearly 2,000 years of continuous history as an urban settlement, the oldest in Russia and one of the most ancient in the region.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

The ear is made up of three parts that work together to process sounds: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Part of the inner ear contains tiny hair cells. These hair cells help send sound messages to the brain. Loud noise can damage them. Unlike damage to other parts of your body, inner ear damage never heals. Over time, as more and more hair cells get affected, your hearing will get worse and worse. If you use earphones and want to avoid hearing loss, doctors recommend the 60 %/60-minute rule: firstly, listen to music or play a movie or video game at no more than 60 % of the maximum volume, secondly, limit the amount of time you spend with earbuds in your ears to 60 minutes. Here’s another way to fi nd out if your earbuds are at a safe volume: ask people sitting near you if they can hear your music. If they can, it’s a sign that your hearing is being damaged. Turn the volume down until other people can’t hear it.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Lions are second only to human beings in terms of their historical geographical range. The only continents where lions have never resided are Australia, Antarctica, and Oceania. As for countries with lions, these have spanned continents from northern Eurasia to Africa. Up until 10,000 years ago, lions were found in countries in the Americas and northern Eurasia. They were also found in Europe until approximately 2,000 years ago, possibly even as late as 150 years ago. It was also about 150 years ago that most North African countries with lions saw them go extinct. Within the past 60 years, lions have become more at risk in general, and almost totally extinct north of the southern Sahara Desert. Today, lions occupy approximately 600,000 square miles, which is only 8 % of the territory they once lived on, and, unfortunately, this figure is steadily declining.

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Foreigners often think of Russian food as comprising of mostly healthy and hearty dishes based on root vegetables to stave off the winter cold. This is partly true, but to say that beetroot soup, boiled cabbage, rye bread and cottage cheese were all that the Russians ate would simply not be true. It comes as a surprise to many, but the Russians have as much of a sweet-tooth as Americans, if not more so. The only reason why Russians have yet to suffer from the same obesity crisis as those in the West is because their addiction to sugar takes its form, not in whopper doughnuts and giant marshmallows, but in petite candies and fruit-based desserts. With the memories of Soviet shortages still vivid, the Russians are careful to savour their sweet treats in moderation and, whatever the sweet, it’s always accompanied by a cup of strong, black tea.